If you aren’t familiar, Skyward is a pioneer in the commercial drone space and has created a software platform that enables drone operators in a wide variety of industries to effectively manage their operations, drone fleets and compliance requirements effectively.

Jonathan Evans started the company 4 years ago with prescient vision around how the drone industry would need to evolve and integrate into civil airspace. Given his background as a helicopter pilot and strong entrepreneurial drive, Skyward quickly became a driving force in the industry and helped to shape the integration between unmanned and manned aviation to facilitate growth in the industry.

Verizon is making a big push into airborne LTE, so this acquisition makes sense on many levels and will further extend the power of both platforms to the benefit of the entire commercial drone industry.

I’m thrilled for the entire Skyward team about joining forces with Verizon, and proud to have been involved in such an innovative company in an exiting market. I see this as a win for the industry and a benefit to existing Skyward customers, current and future. Onward!